L2. Languages around the Pite River in Sweden - Ume Sámi, Pite Sámi, Pitemål
The Pite Valley is a long valley located in the north of Sweden, flowing into the Bay of Bothnia. The lower parts of this valley are dominated by vast boreal forests, small rocky mountains, lakes, and settlements around the Pite River, whilst its entrance to the Bay of Bothnia brings one to an archipelago of islands. Further up the valley, one comes across waterfalls, and higher terrain, until one eventually reaches the higher reaches of the Pite River in the Scandinavian Mountain Range.
There are several languages spoken along this valley. Today, Norrland dialects of Swedish dominate, but historically the language of the lower Pite Valley was Pite Bondska, known as Pijtmå:L, a Bondska language, Bondska being a group of Nordic or North-Germanic languages related to, but distinct from Swedish. Sámi people also live in these areas, and often come under the Swedish term skogsamer, for these Sámi have historically lived in the boreal forest and have been quite mobile, and less connected to reindeer husbandry, unlike other Sámi groups. Their own language is Ume Sámi, a nearly extinct Sámi language.
In the upper parts of the Pite Valley, the separate Pite Sámi language is spoken. Pite Sámi is more defined to the upper parts of the Pite Valley, whereas Ume Sámi was more widely used across forest Sámi communities in the Pite Valley and much further to the south.
Photo below: the Pite River and its waterfalls at Storforsen, Pitemål: ståorfoRsen - "the big waterfall". I noticed the presence of Ume Sámi culture in this area,
The table below shows words in Ume Sámi, Pite Sámi, Pitemål, Swedish and English. I do not personally speak any Ume Sámi nor Pite Sámi, but these Ume and Pite Sámi language words all have relatively similar equivalents in Northern Sámi, which I speak to a very limited degree. The equivalent Pitemål words show how the local Germanic language differs greatly from the Uralic languages, and also from Rikssvenska Swedish.
| Ume Sámi | Pite Sámi | Pitemål | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sámiengiälla | sámegiella | samisk | samiska | Sámi |
| várrie | várre | fjäll | fjäll | fell, mountain |
| guöllie | guolle | fisk | fisk | fish |
| juhka | jåhkå | äLv | älv | river |
| giälla | giella | språok, må:L | språk | language |
| gïjđđa | gidda, girra | våor | vår | spring (season) |
| lühkkie | lågev | tio | tio | ten |
| guökttie | guäkkte | tvåo | två | two |
| biädnja | biena | hund | hund | dog |
Photo below: a large stone in the forest, or in Pitemål: en ståor stäjn ine skåogom, in Swedish: en stor sten i skogen. Such wild places were sometimes associated with the trölla, "elves", by Pitemål speakers.
| Pitemål | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| å̄t vå̄ra | att vara | to be |
| å̄t hå̄va | att ha | to have |
| å̄t djǟra | att göra | to do |
| å̄t rä̀nge | att regna | to rain |
| nää | nej | no |
| et | inte | not |
| ī jär | jag är | I am |
| vǟ vå̄ra | vi är | we are |
| ī faåor | jag for (jag gick) | I went |
| vǟ fàåor | vi for (vi gick) | we went |
| ī tökk omm | jag tycker om | I like |
| bjǟRn | björn | bear |
| fLekka | flicka | girl |
| tröll | troll (älva) | an elf like being (not a troll in the more traditional Nordic sense) |
| schwä̀jtes | svettas | to sweat |
| fjö:Ln | fjärden, fjorden | the fjord |
| mötje | mycket | much |
| ållte | alltid | always |
| kannsche | kanske | maybe |
Photo below: the historic village of Svensby, in Pitemål: Schwensboj, taken on Pitemålsdagen, in Pitemål: Pijtmå:Lsda:n, a day celebrating the Pitemål language at Schwensboj. This photo shows the more typical lowland, forested landscapes, although with small agricultural areas, where most Pitemål speakers have historically lived.
1. hǟ vār raåoLit å̄t vå̄ra ine ÄLvsbojn - It was great to be in Älvsbyn
2. ī nȫges räjs dijt å̄ter - I must travel there again
3. ī tökk mötje omm fåLke ine PijtdaLn - I like a lot the people in Pitedalen (The Pite Valley)
4. ī vel frå̀åg mäjr omm PijtdaLns histori - I wish to ask more about the history of Pitedalen
5. jēna jär StåorfoRsn - here is Storforsen (the waterfall, photo of which is further up this article)